Farm in the Cave's latest multimedia project explores the global phenomenon of the impact of disinformation campaigns from an emotional and human point of view. So far, the topic has only been addressed through algorithms, data, chain e-mails and other “facts” while the real impact on individuals and their families has been ignored. Through intense artistic experience and educational programmes, the ensemble aims to initiate public discourse and bring the topic to schools.
The project is based on a unique combination of performance research and authorial theatre, where artists from different fields (performing art, visual art, and video design) meet experts in a broad interdisciplinary context. The artistic and educational parts derive from thorough research and collaboration with leading experts on the topics of disinformation, political marketing, and the polarisation of society: among others – Norwegian journalist and specialist on extremism and disinformation Øyvind Strømmen, Czech journalist Ivana Svobovoá, expert on political marketing Otto Eibl, digital anthropologist Marie Heřmanová, psychologist Nikola Hořejš, and a specialist on non-verbal communication Eva Dvořáková.
THE ARTISTIC PART
The artistic part of the Online Hero project includes a physical theatre performance, an interactive art installation and short video footage documenting Farm in the Cave's working practice.
The whole project will culminate in the performance Czech Hero, which is to be premiered in April 2024. Farm in the Cave's creative team got inspired by the Czech journalist Ivana Svobodová and the case of “the first Czech terrorist” to create a unique physical theatre production with live music.
„Ivana Svobodová fascinates us both as a human being and as a journalist with her necessity to understand those from the opposite side of the debate – who we usually give up to speak with. She lived for a month in the household of a sentenced senior with his wife to find out how a disinformation campaign changed the lives of people who had followed it. For me as an artist, Svobodová's courage and interest in people are surprising and inspiring. In the performance, we're not that much interested in the political context and Svobodová's real story. What grabs our attention is how we eventually end up forming an unexpectedly strong relationship with someone we don't even know. And how vulnerable we are towards each other in the world of disinformation and political marketing.“ – Director and choreographer Viliam Dočolomanský
EDUCATION
As a part of the Online Hero project, Farm in the Cave is developing educational programmes both for high school students and the general public. Most of these activities are designed in Czech language only.
Partners
Project Online Hero was supported by the EEA Fonds, Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic and Tha Magistrate of the Capital City of Prague.
